Mold is an essential part of our natural environment

Mold is present is most places, outdoors and indoors. Like all living things, mold requires a food source and a water source. Mold grows by digesting plant or animal matter, such as leaves, wood or paper, and spreads by releasing tiny, lightweight spores that travel through the air. Live spores act like seeds forming new mold growths when they find the right conditions.

Mold grows quickly in moist places

High indoor relative humidity and stagnant air are ideal for mold growth and damp unventilated basements are perfect breeding grounds for mold and musty odors. Just because you don't see mold growing in your home doesn't mean it’s not there. Musty odors are a gaseous byproduct of mold growth, and you may be smelling and breathing them in daily.

Removing moisture from a home is the first step in preventing mold growth. The E-Z Breathe Ventilation System removes excess moisture from a home, improves the air quality and helps prevent the formation of harmful, damaging mold. Furthermore, it also exhausts mold spores and MVOCs, the gas that mold generates (which is what you smell).

Mold is a Biological Contaminant

Molds, bacteria, pollen, and viruses are types of biological contaminants. These contaminants can be a result of poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Physical symptoms related to biological contamination include cough, chest tightness, fever, chills, muscle aches, and allergic responses such as mucous membrane irritation and upper respiratory congestion.

Mold and Your Health

All of us are exposed to some mold every day with no bad effects. We may breathe in mold spores that are present in the air or eat foods in which mold has begun to grow. People with mold allergies, however, may have a reaction if exposed to too much of the fungus.

10% you see… 90% is Microscopic

90% of the suspended airborne particles are too small to see; yet small enough to be respired (breathed into the lungs) which causes damage and disease. These invisible particles are a serious health risk concern. It is widely documented that these particulates and poor IAQ contribute to the development of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and sinusitis. The best way to remove these harmful invisible particles is to properly ventilate your home through the use of a high quality ventilation system such as the E-Z Breathe.

How Clean Should Indoor Air Be?

Remember, there is no environment— indoor or outdoor—that is 100% free of hazardous materials, many of which (like mold and airborne particulates) occur naturally in the environment. Homes and buildings have been built to be more energy efficient since the 1970’s energy-crisis, leading to poor ventilation indoors. Couple that with the fact that people spend an average 90% of their time indoors and the correlation between increases in respiratory disease rate since 1980 becomes too much to ignore.

The E-Z Breathe Ventilation System reduces indoor air pollution, expels odors, eliminates moisture and removes damp, cold and contaminated air from your home. By exchanging this stale air for fresh air, the atmosphere within the home becomes healthier and safer. Removing this excess moisture also helps prevent damage to your home's structure and drastically reduces the ability for mold to grow in your home.

Common signs of mold in a home

The most common indicators of mold infestation include a musty odor and the discoloration of surfaces. Mold can cause surfaces to change color to white, green, brown, black or orange. It is important to pay attention to these warning signs since mold can lead to a home's structural damage as well as produce allergens, irritants and in some cases, potentially toxic substances.

Do you have mold and bacteria cultures in your basement? Not sure? Contact A-1 Basement Solutions for a free in-home mold and air quality inspection today!  We also offer home mold tests on Amazon.com.  See below how to use